Museo de la Historia de Ponce facts for kids
Museo de la Historia de Ponce
on Calle Isabel and Calle Mayor Cantera |
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| Established | 12 December 1992 |
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| Location | Calle Isabel #53, SE corner of Calle Isabel & Calle Mayor, Ponce, Puerto Rico |
| Type | History museum |
| Visitors | 12,464 (2000) |
| Owner | Autonomous Municipality of Ponce |
The Museum of the History of Ponce is an exciting place in Ponce, Puerto Rico. It's a museum all about the city's past. You can find it inside a beautiful old building called Casa Salazar-Candal.
This museum shows you what life was like in Ponce. It covers everything from its nature and economy to its amazing buildings and daily routines. The goal is to help people learn about and protect the history of Ponce and Puerto Rico.
The museum first opened its doors on December 12, 1992. It was the first museum in Puerto Rico made to tell the story of a whole city's people. It takes you on a journey from the ancient Taino Indians all the way to today. The museum opened during Mayor Rafael Cordero Santiago's time. This was part of a big celebration for the city's 300th birthday.
You can find the museum in the city's historic district. It's just a short walk from the main Plaza Las Delicias town square. The museum is at the corner of Isabel and Mayor Cantera streets. The main part is in the Casa Salazar-Candal. But it also includes the nearby Rosali-Zapater house, which has offices. There's even an empty space where another old house used to be. In 2014, another building, the Casa Rosita Serrallés, became part of the museum. It's now known as the "Barrio Mameyes Memorial Museum."
Contents
Discovering Ponce's Past: The Museum's Story
The idea for a Ponce history museum started way back in the 1930s. A group of citizens wanted it to happen, but it didn't work out then. Years later, the idea came back to life. The plan was to build a museum using two historic homes, Casa Salazar and Casa Zapater. They also bought the empty lot where Casa Shuck Gelpí once stood. But again, the project stopped.
The plan was restarted in the late 1980s, with some changes. Ms. Maruja Candal Salazar and Dr. Neysa Rodríguez Deynes led this effort. They worked with a team of experts. From 1989 to 1992, the Salazar and Zapater houses were fixed up. They became the museum's home. During this time, they also planned the first four main exhibits. These were about nature, the city's overview, its economy, and its buildings.
In 1994, they started the second part of the project. This included two new exhibits. One was about health, and the other was called "Ponce in Puerto Rican Political Life." They also created a cool video presentation called "Ponce is Ponce." In 1998, the Ernesto Ramos Antonini auditorium opened. It was built where the old Shuck Gelpí House used to be.
The Museum Today: A Hub of Culture
By 2002, the Museum of the History of Ponce was a very active cultural spot. It was also Puerto Rico's most complete history museum. The museum offers many cultural programs. These programs help people learn more about the history of Puerto Rico and Ponce. For its 10th birthday, the museum started its third and final phase. This included two new exhibits about education and daily life. They also began creating a full museum catalog.
The Museum Buildings: Historic Homes
The main building that holds the museum is very special. It has beautiful stained-glass windows, colorful mosaics, and peaceful inner courtyards. Both buildings that make up the museum are old homes from the early 1900s.
- The Salazar House: This house was built in 1911. It was designed by Blas C. Silva Boucher. It has a mix of old and new styles, called "eclectic neoclassical." This house is so important that it's listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
- The Zapater Home: This house was built in 1880 and rebuilt in 1925. It shows a typical Puerto Rican townhouse style. Many important families from Ponce lived here over the years. It was also designed by Blas Silva.
What You Can See: Museum Exhibits
The museum has 10 different rooms filled with exhibits. It shows facts, old papers, objects, and relics from Ponce's history. You'll learn how important Ponce was in shaping Puerto Rico. This includes its ideas, politics, society, culture, and economy. The museum also shows Ponce's role in Puerto Rican art. This covers music, theater, opera, books, and newspapers. You can also see how different cultures influenced southern Puerto Rico. These include Spanish, African, and other immigrant groups.
Main Exhibits at the Museum
Ecology: Ponce's Natural World
This first exhibit shows you the land and weather of Ponce. You'll see its coast, flat lands, and mountains. It explains how Ponce's natural surroundings are key to understanding its history. There's a small model of the area. It shows the rich soil, natural resources, and local fauna (animals).
Panorama: People and Their Environment
This exhibit is about how people interact with their surroundings. The Panorama hall shows how Ponce first started and how its population grew. It covers from ancient times up to the early 1900s. You'll learn where the people of Ponce came from. It shows that Ponce has a mix of many different people. There's a model of the city showing Ponce at its busiest, around the late 1800s.
Politics: Ponce's Role in Government
This exhibit focuses on Ponce's part in Puerto Rico's politics. It also covers local political life in Ponce. This exhibit has two rooms. The first room shows how Puerto Rico's politics developed from 1508 to the 1950s. Pictures, documents, and objects show important times in Puerto Rican politics. They also show Ponce's leading role in these events. The second room explains the creation of the Estado Libre Asociado (Commonwealth of Puerto Rico). It also highlights governors who were from Ponce, like Luis A. Ferré and Rafael Hernández Colón. It also features Roberto Sánchez Vilella, who considered Ponce his adopted city. A special item here is a small bronze statue. It's the Prince of Asturias of Literature Prize, made by the famous Spanish artist Juan Miró.
Finance and Economics: Growing the City
This is one of the most important parts of the museum. Economic growth has been the biggest reason for Ponce's development. This is true from when it started until today. The growth of the port, farming, factories, and banks helped Ponce's economy. This, in turn, helped its culture, society, and ideas grow. You can see all this in this exhibit hall.
Architecture and Urban Development: Ponce's Buildings
This exhibit shows how Ponce's city landscape changed over time. It introduces you to the architects who designed the city. It also highlights special features of Ponce's unique buildings. You'll see homes, military buildings, and public buildings. It also shows how public spaces have changed. These things make Ponce an important traditional city. The hall has a model showing the city's growth. There's also a display of photos, plans, buildings, and art.
Health and Medicine: Caring for the Community
This exhibit shows how Ponce's main health centers started and grew. It covers from 1863 to today. It also looks at the medical community from the early 1900s to the 1940s. You'll learn about important health discoveries. For example, Dr. Bailey K. Ashford found the parasite that causes a disease called uncinaria ancylostomiasis. You'll also see information about Puerto Rico's first kidney transplant. This exhibit includes documents, photos, old prescriptions, awards, and personal items from Ponce doctors.
Museum Collections: Treasures from the Past
To create its collections, the museum got help from over 200 Ponce citizens. They lent or gave photos, documents, and objects. The museum now has over 3,000 photos, documents, pieces of furniture, and other items. Some are on display, and others are kept safely in storage.
Here are some of the most important collections:
The Dr. Manuel de la Pila Iglesias Collection
This collection covers the years from 1898 to 1950. It includes documents, photos, and personal items of Dr. Manuel de la Pila Iglesias. They show how health and medicine changed in Ponce during the early to mid-1900s.
The Juan Sisco Santiago Collection
This collection covers the years from 1930 to 1980. It has documents, publications, objects, and photos by the famous Ponce photographer Juan Sisco Santiago. These items show the political, social, cultural, and economic daily life of Ponce in the second half of the 1900s.
The Dr. Ana Dolores Pérez Marchand Collection
This collection covers the years from 1911 to 1950. It includes photos, documents, publications, and personal items of Ponce's first female doctor, Ana Dolores Pérez Marchand. She was also one of the first three female doctors in all of Puerto Rico. This collection is very helpful for studying the role of women in the early 1900s. It also shows how health and medicine developed in Puerto Rico.
The Emilio J. Pasarell Collection
This collection covers the years from 1900 to 1920. It includes postcards by Ponce photographer José Rodríguez Serra. The family of Emilio J. Pasarell donated this collection. These postcards give you a visual look at Ponce's streets, buildings, plazas, and businesses in the early 1900s.
The Mariana Suárez de Longo Collection
This collection covers the years from 1949 to 1970. It has letters, invitations, graduation cards, newspaper clippings, telegrams, and photos. These items show educational activities in Ponce between 1949 and 1970.
The Ramón López Crespo Collection
The Ramón López Crespo collection covers the years from 1960 to 1980. It includes photos, posters, cultural event programs, magazines, letters, newspapers, and flyers for music and theater events. These items show the cultural life and events in Ponce between 1960 and 1980.
See also
